Barcelona

As of mid-2025, Barcelona’s housing market faces escalating demand, with both rental and purchase prices climbing. Approximately 60% of Barcelona residents are renters, while home ownership is below 40%, reflecting higher tenancy rates than the Spanish national average. The city’s median rental price currently stands at about €26.41 per square meter per month, with some government-agency figures quoting new rental contracts at €16.19 per square meter. Median purchase prices for apartments are about €4,561 per square meter, with sought-after neighborhoods registering higher prices.

Publicly owned housing—often called social housing—remains limited, totaling just over 12,300 units as of the end of 2023. This represents less than 2% of Barcelona’s entire housing stock, significantly below the European average for social housing (around 15%). The city’s government is working to expand this by acquiring private properties and constructing new developments, but the supply remains far from meeting demand.

In Barcelona, the terms “public housing” and “social housing” generally overlap, both referring to municipally owned dwellings for low-income and vulnerable residents. However, public housing can sometimes include homes managed by other governmental or nonprofit bodies, whereas social housing usually targets specific social needs with regulated access and pricing.

Overall, public and social housing play a crucial, but still minor, role in Barcelona’s market, leaving most residents exposed to private market pressures and persistent affordability challenges. All figures in euros.

Barcelona’s housing crisis is acute, driven by a persistent imbalance between high demand and inadequate supply. Rents have soared by 68% over the past decade—significantly outpacing the 33% growth in local incomes. By mid-2025, average asking rents are at €26.41 per square meter per month, with contract rents for new agreements still exceeding €16 per square meter. Home purchase prices have reached historic highs, averaging over €4,600 per square meter in the city, and have risen by nearly 17.5% just over the past year.

Supply constraints are critical: new household formation has outpaced housing construction by a three-to-one ratio, and the rental supply has contracted by as much as 19% following regulatory interventions. Short-term tourist rentals, with around 13,500 active listings and an 84% occupancy rate, further squeeze the long-term housing market, pushing up prices and reducing availability for residents.

The crisis particularly affects lower-income households, middle-class families, and young adults, all of whom struggle to access affordable, quality housing. The poorest 20% fight to secure rentals, while the wealthiest 20% own their homes outright. Rental market volatility and the prevalence of under-the-table payments exclude many from finding secure accommodation, deepening both inequality and social stress throughout the city.

Barcelona’s city administration prioritizes expanding affordable and sustainable housing, particularly through the Pla Viure (Life Plan), which aims to deliver 3,000 new homes and secure land for an additional 10,000 by 2027. Three main objectives guide current policy: universalizing access to housing, boosting rehabilitations focused on energy efficiency and accessibility, and addressing the needs of vulnerable populations across life stages.

Key recent targets include the construction of 50,000 public housing units in Catalonia by 2030, funded in part by a €500 million program supporting young first-time buyers with 0% interest loans covering 20% of the property value—homes acquired this way will remain permanently affordable. For 2025, more than €200 million is allocated specifically for expanding and rehabilitating social housing, which entails both new construction and acquisition of private properties for public use.

Major programs and activities include:

- Public-private-social partnerships (such as CLT-inspired models) for cooperative, affordable housing.

- Temporarily or permanently acquiring vacant apartments for social housing, using strengthened legal tools and offering below-market purchases.

- Large-scale renovation efforts, exemplified by €170 million directed at improving energy efficiency and accessibility in over 8,700 homes.

- The Inclusive Housing Program, delivering housing via partnerships with social organizations.

- Maintenance of the rule requiring 30% of new developments or major renovations to be set aside for affordable housing, though recent attempts to reform this have stalled.

Administrative and participatory structures like the Department of Protected Housing and Social Housing Council coordinate implementation and track progress.

Housing cooperatives in Barcelona play a modest but growing role in the city’s housing landscape, primarily via the use-right (cessió d’ús) model. This approach gives residents secure, affordable tenure without ownership, aiming to keep housing out of the speculative market and ensure collective management. The sector is still small: as of 2025, cooperative housing accounts for significantly less than 1% of Barcelona’s total housing stock, with about 150–250 units in operation and more in development. Recent years have seen accelerated growth, aided by strong public support, municipal land transfers, streamlined planning, and partnerships, including a dedicated municipal working group.

Key city policies include reserving public plots for cooperatives, providing targeted grants, and facilitating project approvals. The city aims to deliver 1,000 new cooperative and social rental units in coming years as part of broader housing strategies. Main cooperatives such as Sostre Cívic have secured new funding and are expanding rapidly. Despite these advances, major barriers remain—most notably access to land and sufficient financing—but active collaboration with the city and regional bodies is helping cooperative housing gain traction as a non-speculative, socially inclusive alternative within Barcelona’s broader push for affordable housing.